The Woman I Love
by Dolphingirl32173
Summary: Setting Things Right told from Damon's perspective. Damon/Elena
1. Prologue

The Woman I Love  
DG32173

Sarah: welcome to the sister-fic of _Setting Things Right._ Where that story was told from Elena's perspective, this one is told from Damon's. I hope you enjoy.

_**DISCLAIMER**_  
This is going to be the only disclaimer for the whole fanfic, so I best make it good. The only thing I own is what I write. Everything that you can find in the real world is owned by someone with a much bigger bank account than mine.

_**WARNINGS**_  
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE! MASSIVE SPOILERS ALERT! Mostly spoilers for season one. There could _possibly_ be other spoilers as well. Rated M for my sanity. Not that I have any. Damon's viewpoint. Also, combining elements I _know_ are in the books – though I haven't read them yet – with what is known in the show.

_**SUMMARY**_  
_Setting Things Right_ told from Damon's perspective. _**Damon/Elena**_

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Prologue

I watch as Elena tries to free herself from the witch's grip. There is no way I can prevent what is about to happen. I'm dead, after all. The witch starts chanting some spell or other and Elena turns her gaze towards the stairway leading to the basement of the burning building John had put all the captured vampires as well as the mayor in. after a few minutes, shapes appear through the smoke. The first to break free is Anna.

The child-vampire looks at Elena, her face so full of sorrow that there is no way that Elena won't realize something had gone wrong. "I'm sorry. I would have saved him, but the vervaine wouldn't let me move," she tells Elena.

Then Stefan breaks free of the smoke, carrying my body. A sound like a dying animal rips from Elena's throat as she rushes to my brother's side. "No! No, no, no, _no!"_ she sobs, holding my head as her eyes land on the stake John had put through my heart. Tears flow down her cheeks as she cradles my body's head to her chest. I wish more than anything I could just be in my body again so I can open my eyes and tease her. The heartbreak in her face and eyes is torture. She rips the stake from my chest and flings it away.

Her body is wracked by heart-wrenching sobs as she repeatedly calls my name. I now know what I had been praying would happen _did_ happen. She had fallen in love with me. But now it's too late to do anything about it. Stefan wraps his arms around Elena, trying to comfort her as best as he can. But I can tell that she barely registers anything other than the fact that I'm dead.

The next day, Elena and Stefan bury my body next to my mother's grave. Stefan gives my ring to Elena. I won't need it anymore. She puts it on a chain that she wears around her neck constantly. John leaves town later that week. He tries to apologize to Elena, but she just stares blankly into space on the couch. She's stopped going to school. She's to the point of despair where she only eats, sleeps, showers, and cries. Jenna doesn't understand what came over her niece. She was told that I left town and am not coming back.

As the days turn to weeks then months, Elena keeps sinking deeper and deeper into the black hole of despair she was sucked into when she saw my body. She doesn't even talk anymore when she's awake. But every time she falls asleep, she calls out to me repeatedly. I can tell she's having a nightmare. I would _love_ to be able to go into her head and chase it away, but my Power disappeared when I died. Apparently, ghosts can't use the abilities they had when they were alive.

Stefan and Elena's relationship had gone south the day I died. By the time three months have passed since Founder's Day, their friendship is on very shaky ground. Stefan finally decides that he should leave and not come back. Seeing him just reminds Elena that I am dead. But Bonnie shows up just before he heads upstairs to my room to say goodbye to Elena. She spends most of her time either in my room or at my grave.

"Bonnie? What are you doing here?" Stefan asks when he answers the door.

"The spirits gave me a way to fix the mess I made," she says, stepping inside.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asks, his eyes narrowed. I watch them, knowing that this could turn interesting.

"Damon wasn't supposed to die on Founder's Day. Anna was," the witch says.

"Well, whoop-de-freaking-do," I grouse. "And how are you gonna fix _that,_ witch? Your damned spirits won't allow a witch to resurrect the dead, you know. Not even a dark witch dares mess with necromancy." But, of course, neither of them can hear me.

"You said the spirits gave you a way to undo that?" Stefan asks hesitantly.

"They gave me a spell to send Elena back in time to the point in her relationship with Damon where she started falling in love with him. She can then rewrite history so that Damon _lives."_

"Fascinating," I admit. "I didn't know there were time travel spells."

"How?" Stefan asks.

"Well, only her spirit will go back in time. And she's the only one who'll remember the past several months. But I can give Damon back to her! She can change what has happened so that he _lives!"_

Stefan sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Where will that leave us?" he asks.

"Who _cares?"_ I demand, even though he can't hear me. "I'm sick of watching Elena waste away! _Anything_ is better than that!"

"Well, once she starts rewriting history, this timeline will disappear and be replaced with what will happen based on what she does. She will be the only one to know there was ever a difference. And she'd have to be _extremely_ careful who she tells."

Stefan looks up towards where my room is. "If it means Elena will be happy again, I'd do _anything,"_ he says. "I'd even watch her be with Damon if that's what will make her happy."

"Then we better go let her know about this opportunity the spirits are giving her," Bonnie sighs. "Though she might try to kill me for being the reason Damon died."

"I'll hold her back while you explain things," Stefan promises.

I answer Elena's summons and flash upstairs. Funny thing about being a ghost: if someone is thinking of you, it's almost like a summons in the back of your mind. You can _choose_ to answer it and go to them immediately to watch them, or you could just wander around. Every last one of Elena's thoughts has been about me since I died, giving me instantaneous access to her no matter where she is, even in the shower. That kick wore off _fast_ thanks to her downward spiral into the heart of despair.

I look down at the broken woman lying on my bed. "Elena, they can bring us back together," I tell her softly, placing my hand on her cheek. Neither of us can feel it and she can't hear me.

"Elena?" Stefan calls from the open door. She tilts her head slightly towards him to acknowledge that she heard him for once. "I decided that I should leave, and I decided I'd go today." She nods slightly. "I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

"Miss you," she croaks, her voice rusty from disuse.

"About time you spoke!" I snap at her, though she can't hear me.

My back is to Stefan, so I can't see his physical reaction to her actually speaking. "I'll miss you, too. You have a key to the house, and you're welcome to come anytime, even when no one is actually living here."

He hesitates about telling her about Bonnie's offer. "If you don't tell her, I'll find some way to torture you for the rest of eternity!" I growl, turning to him.

He sighs. "Someone came over to see you," he says, stepping aside to reveal Bonnie, who was standing behind him.

Elena lunges out of bed, shocking both of them. She stalks towards the witch like a predator would stalk prey. "Why should I talk to _you?"_ she snarls, her voice back in an instant. "It's _your_ fault he's dead! It's_ your_ fault he's not coming back! I should _kill_ you like you killed him!"

"Easy, kitten," I tell her, even though I know it's useless. "She's come to set things right."

Stefan dodges behind Elena and pins her arms behind her back before she can strangle the witch. Even though my brother is a vampire, even if he _is_ on that stupid animal diet, he has to struggle to keep Elena in away from Bonnie. _"Listen_ to what she has to say, Elena. There might be a way to make things right again!" he says.

Bonnie's eyes are wide with fright. "I know you don't want to see me," the witch says quickly. "But the spirits said that Damon was _not_ supposed to die that day. They gave me a spell that I can use to send you back to a point in time where you can alter history so that he _lives._ I can give him _back_ to you, Elena!"

As the witches words sink into her brain, the fight leaves Elena and she sags in my brother's arms. "I can save him?" she asks weakly. "I can have him back?"

"I can send you back to the point where your relationship with him took the first major turn towards love. That's where you have to start rewriting history before it happens again, and you can end up saving his life rather than burying him again. I have to warn you though, the one who was _supposed_ to die that day was Anna. There is a _slight_ chance where you can save both of them, the spirits said."

_I_ know where my relationship with Elena took its first major turn: the trip to Georgia. That was when she stopped hating me and decided that we could be friends. But apparently, Elena is barely paying attention as life returns to her eyes. ""I can have him back," she whispers. I see tears of joy filling her eyes. ""I can have him back."

"Kitten, _pay attention_ to the witch. You can get caught up in the joy of the occasion some other time!" I growl.

Bonnie grabs Elena's arms to regain her attention. Elena looks at the witch, life back in her eyes. "Elena, you will be the only one who will know what will happen. You have to be _extremely_ careful who you tell. It's preferable that you tell _no one._ Not until _after_ it's all over, at least. And even then, don't go blabbing to everyone," the witch says emphatically, making sure that her words register this time.

Elena nods. "Okay," she says. "Tell no one what I remember if I can help it. Got it."

The witch gives my brother a look; he releases Elena and steps back. Bonnie takes a deep breath before placing her fingers lightly on the edges of Elena's face. "Now, I want you to concentrate on the point in time you started developing feelings for Damon," she says. "Let me know when you got it."

It's a few minutes before Elena nods. I roll my eyes at how long it takes her to realize when our relationship took its first step towards love. The witch starts chanting and suddenly, _I'm_ caught in the spell. I see the look of surprise on my brother's face and realize he's in it as well. That's when I realize that _everyone_ in the world is having their spirit sent six months back in time, not just Elena. Then my memories start playing backwards as a heavy wind snatches me up and sends me backwards. As each memory plays backward, it disappears from my mind.

I watch in fascination as the wind and memory rewind pick up their speed. Finally, the wind stops and so does the memory rewind and then it's all erased…


	2. Georgia

The Woman I Love  
DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter 1. I hope everyone enjoys!

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Chapter 1  
Georgia

I glance over at the passenger seat as Elena _finally_ starts waking up. I see her look over at me from the corner of my eye. "Morning," I great her, flashing her a smirk.

She looks around. "Where are we going?" she asks, shifting into a more comfortable position in her seat.

I raise an eyebrow. She's very calm, considering the situation. "A little place outside Georgia," I reply. "We're almost there."

"Okay," she says.

Both my eyebrows shoot towards my hairline. Well, _that's_ unexpected. "Okay?" I repeat in disbelief. "Are you sure you don't have a concussion?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"I expected you to put up one _helluva_ fight about this," I reply with a shrug.

"Even if I _wanted_ to put up a fight, which I don't, it wouldn't do much good. You're the one driving," she points out. She's right. It's not like I'm about to turn around and head back to Mystic Falls just because she asked me to. "And I do need a break from what's been going on in my life. Spending that break from life with you sounds fun."

"I'll get you home safely," I promise her. I've grown rather fond of her over the past few months, which is one reason I decided to take her to Georgia with me after I saved her from that vampire that caused her to crash. Then her phone rings in my back pocket. I pull it out and glance at the caller ID. Stefan. I offer it to her. "It's your boyfriend," I tell her, a touch of jealousy in my voice though I try to hide it.

She takes the phone and turns it on. "Hello, Stefan," she says when she puts it to her ear.

"_Elena? Where are you? Are you okay?"_

"I'm okay. I'm with Damon. I'll talk to you when we get back."

"_You're with _Damon?_ Tell me where you are. I'll come get you."_

"Yeah, about that," she says slowly. "I don't _need_ you to come get me. I'm safe with Damon." I glance at her curiously at that. She trusts me in spite of all I've done to make her life hell? Fascinating. I turn my eyes back to the road and continue to listen in. "And before you start to assume anything, _no,_ he is _not_ compelling me. So, like I said, I'll talk to you when we get back. Don't call back, because I won't answer. Bye, Stefan." She hangs up on his protests, settles back in her seat, and smirks at me.

I chuckle at her audacity. "So, the kitten has the makings of a tigress in her, huh?" I tease.

"You better believe it," she says smugly. I can feel the joy rolling off her in waves, though normally she snaps at me for calling her kitten. She's all but glowing from happiness.

"What's got you so hyped up?" I ask.

She gives me a sly grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teases.

"You just woke up in my car, in Georgia, after being in a car crash. You aren't demanding that I turn around and take you back to Mystic Falls. You've practically got this _glow_ of happiness around you. You told my brother to leave you alone until we get back, something you would _not_ have done yesterday. You even _let_ me call you kitten. I think I have a right to know if you're going crazy considering I'm pretty much responsible for you until I get you home," I retort.

She chuckles. "I'm _not_ going crazy. I'm just very happy right now," she teases.

I raise an eyebrow in question, but she doesn't add anything else on her comment. "That's not really an answer, you know," I point out.

"That's all the answer you're getting," she retorts. "I plan on having fun on this break from life."

I roll my eyes as we pull into the small town where Bree's Bar is. Minutes later, I pull into the parking lot outside the bar. I glance at her when she doesn't protest as we get out. "No protests?" I ask, locking the Camaro.

"I just hope you know a way of getting me in without a fake ID. Mine's at home," she replies.

I chuckle as I lead her inside. I never imagined that good girl Elena would have something as no-good as a fake ID. What _else_ has she been keeping secret? I hold the door open for Elena, then follow her inside to see Bree scrubbing the counter. I rub my hands together as she looks at me. "No. No, it can't be," she says. I grin at her. "Damon?" she asks, hopping over the counter. "My honey-pie," she says, before pulling me in for a kiss. I can practically _feel_ the waves of jealousy emanating from Elena, though I don't know _why_ she would be jealous. Finally, Bree pulls away with a grin on her face. She hops back behind the counter and picks up a bottle of bourbon. She still remembers my favorite drink. "Listen up, everybody!" she calls out. "Here's to the man that broke my heart," she starts, pouring the whisky into five shot glasses, "crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness." She sets a shot glass in front of my and Elena. "Drink up." I tilt my head back and let the alcohol burn its way down my throat. "So, how'd he rope you in?" Bree asks Elena.

"I don't know _how_ he managed to pull it off," she answers, and I can _hear_ the honesty in her voice. I almost choke on my whiskey. What the _hell_ caused her to say _that?_ I reach for her shot glass, but she snatches it away and downs it. I give her a look, silently letting her know I need to talk to Bree privately. "I'm calling Jenna," she says, grabbing her cell phone and walking outside.

Bree hops back over the bar and follows me to a table away from the other people in the bar. "I need a way of getting in the tomb," I tell her softly.

"I told you the way," she replies.

"Come on, there's got to be another way," I say.

"After all these years, it's still only Katherine," she says. I shrug. "How do you know she's still alive?"

"Well, you help me get into that tomb and we'll find out," I tell her.

"I already did, twenty years ago, remember?" she says. "Three easy steps: comet, crystal, spell."

"There's a little problem with number two," I growl. "I don't _have_ the crystal.

"That's it, Damon," she says. "There is no other way. It's Emily's spell."

"What about new spell, new crystal, that overrides Emily's spell?" I ask with a smirk.

"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb."

I swallow hard. I get up and turn to the window, watching as Elena starts to come in only to pull out her phone, look at it, and get an angry face. I focus my hearing on her and listen in as she answers it. "Bree, could you fix me and Elena some burgers fries, and get me a beer?" I ask the witch.

"Sure thing," she replies, heading back behind the bar.

"Stefan, I said don't call back," Elena says angrily. So, St. Stefan doesn't follow orders very well.

"_Elena, you need to let me explain,"_ he pleads.

"I don't _need_ to do anything. You _lied_ to me, Stefan. I can _handle_ the truth. I can handle that you and Damon are vampires. I can handle that my best friend is a witch. I can even _handle_ that I look _exactly_ like Katherine for some damn reason. What I _can't_ handle is that you _lied_ to me about what she looks like," she snaps. I vamp out to stand behind her, sensing that the conversation is coming to a close.

"_I'm sorry, Elena. I was trying to protect…,"_ he starts, but she cuts him off.

"I don't _need_ to be protected from the truth, Stefan. It comes out sooner or later, and liars always get caught eventually. I _hate_ being lied to. If you call again, I _will_ let voicemail pick up." She hangs up while he's trying to protest.

She turns around and jumps when she sees me. "You okay?" I ask, searching her face.

"As okay as I can be when I keep getting calls from someone I don't want to talk to," she says.

I smirk, wrap an arm around her shoulders, and lead her back inside. "Well, I ordered us some food," I tell her conversationally. "Considering you missed breakfast this morning and I doubt you had dinner last night, I figured you'd be hungry."

"Starving, actually," she agrees as we walk through the door. I lead her to a couple of barstools at one end of the bar and Bree sits the burgers and fries in front of us and passes me a beer. "I'll have one, too," Elena says.

"Hmm?" I ask around a mouthful of French fry, glancing at her.

"I figured I might as well enjoy this break from life to the fullest," she says with a grin.

Bree passes her a beer and I hold my beer towards her. She clinks bottles with me. Then she takes the top bun off her burger and sets the pickles to the side. ""Come on. You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" I demand in shock, snatching them up.

"_You're_ the one with something wrong with them for liking those things," she teases. I just chuckle. We eat in silence for a couple minutes before she breaks the silence. "So, how are you able to eat if technically you're supposed to be dead?" she asks, dropping volume for 'dead'.

"So long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, my body functions pretty normally," I reply, dropping my voice for 'blood'.

Stefan has to feed a lot more often than you do," she comments, bringing up something that has apparently been bothering her for a while. "Why is that?"

"_Yeah,_ animal blood is nowhere _near_ as filling as human blood," I reply, munching on a fry. She raises an eyebrow, apparently wondering how I know _that._ I grimace. "I _kind of_ opened my big mouth and promised to go a week on his diet to prove something. Worst week _ever._ Not only did I _have_ to feed more often, but _everything_ that makes immortality worth it was dulled down _big time._ Speed, strength, stamina, healing, pain block, powers, _everything_ was diminished. After a hundred and forty-five years of reaping the benefits of being a vampire, it was almost like I had turned back into a human again, just a slightly enhanced one."

She grimaces. "So that's why you're so much more powerful than he is," she murmurs.

"Well, _one_ reason, yes," I concede. "But even on _his_ diet, I was still better than him. I _do_ admit there is _one_ perk to his diet. My vision, hearing, and sense of smell _were_ stronger than on human blood. But those play key roles in survival for animals. Taste and touch, which aren't as important to an animal's survival, where diminished as much as everything else. I guess vampires _literally_ take on enhanced aspects of our prey."

"So, Stefan can see, hear, and smell better, but you're stronger in everything else?" she asks, taking a bite of her burger.

"Pretty much," I agree.

She finishes her mouthful of burger and swallows it before she speaks again. "So, I know you're able to compel people not protected by vervaine, but what else can you do in the 'powers' department?" she asks.

"I can manipulate dreams," I say with a smirk. "I can also shape-shift into a raven or a wolf."

She narrows her eyes. "There was a raven following me around all summer," she remembers.

"It wasn't me _personally._ I _had_ a tame raven that let me see through its eyes whenever I wanted to."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of _'had_ a tame raven'."

"Stefan locked me up in the basement for three _days,"_ I growl. "He spiked Caroline's drink with vervaine that night you yelled at me about the bites on her and I fell for the trap."

She raises an eyebrow. "You were going to kill her _at the party_ because I got mad at you?" she asks.

"I didn't succeed," I point out. "The second I tasted her blood, I was weakened enough for Stefan to overpower me. He gave me a shot of vervaine while I was down. He got me back to the boarding house and locked up in a cell in the basement where Zach was secretly growing a patch of vervaine. Apparently our living relatives passed _that_ down the line alongside our secret. Well, it took three days, but I managed to get out. Had to feed on my raven to get enough strength to get out at nightfall and go on the hunt. Sad thing about birds is that their size doesn't allow for much blood. I was _starving_ and on the verge of desiccation by then."

"And that's when you found Vicki and her friends," she says softly.

I shrug. "Yep," I say, popping the 'p'. "I usually _don't_ go after druggies, but I was desperate and she and her pals where the first humans I came across. Vampires can't overdose, but blood loaded with drugs will get us high too. That girl just _refused_ to die, though, in spite of the fact that I drained so much blood from her that she _should_ have. So I took her back to the boarding house before dawn."

"Why did you turn her? I doubt it was because you liked her," she says. I open my mouth to reply, but she interrupts. "And _don't_ say it was a pity turn. You don't do pity."

I smirk. "How did you get to know me so well?" I ask curiously. She just smiles and eats a fry. I _could_ compel the truth out of her, but I want everything that happens between us on this trip to be _real._ "Well, I guess I turned her mostly because I was bored. Add in the fact that she just would _not_ die when she was supposed to, I was curious what kind of vamp she'd make."

"A _terrible_ one."

"I know that _now._ I should have known better than to turn a druggie. Druggies have zero self-control, and vamps _need_ self-control if they want to survive long."

"Why did you _really_ send me away after Stefan called you to take care of the mess you made?"

"I _told_ you that night. You were bleeding. I was still _very_ hungry and you were a _huge_ temptation."

"You mean you wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if you hurt me," she teases.

I roll my eyes, finishing my mouthful of burger. Once I swallow it, I take a gulp of beer before I answer. "I wouldn't put it like _that,"_ I retort.

"Well, how _would_ you put it?" she prods.

"One, I didn't feel like giving my brother a reason to try to put me _back_ in that damned cell because I knew he'd make it a _hell_ of a lot harder to get out of again. Two, you'd already lost a _lot_ of blood. Considering how hungry I was, I _would_ have drained you completely if my mouth got anywhere _near_ your skin. Three, I _would_ have regretted killing you."

She nods. "So, back to the list of powers you have," she says, holding up a fist to tick them off. "We have shape-shifting, dream manipulation, and compulsion so far."

"I can control weather to an extent; I'm especially good with fog and mist," I add.

A delighted grin spreads across her lips. "I have _got_ to see that."

"You saw it once," I inform her. She looks at me, confused. "The first day back to school, you went to the graveyard afterwards to write in your journal in front of your parents' graves."

She narrows her eyes at me. "That creepy fog was _you?"_ she demands. "What about the raven? Was that you too?"

"Guilty as charged. _That_ time I wanted a look at you with my own eyes," I admit.

"You scared the hell out of me," she exclaims.

"I was _intending_ on cutting you off in the trees and introducing myself. But that blasted brother of mine was already in the woods and you ran into him. I didn't want him to know I was in town yet, so I watched in raven-form from a tree branch above your heads. Even as a bird, I could smell your blood and knew he wouldn't last long. But he had already ruined my plan."

"You said that some of Stefan's senses are better than yours," she points out unnecessarily. . "Why didn't he know about you being in town already?"

I smirk and take a bite from a fry. "Because he didn't _want_ to believe I would come back so soon. The last time we were in Mystic Falls was fifteen years ago. Truly believing something is a powerful tool, especially in vampires. But like all tools, it could work for or against you, depending on how you use it. Stefan didn't _want_ to believe I was around, so his mind dismissed every clue he picked up about my presence in Mystic Falls until I literally showed up on his balcony. He couldn't dismiss the evidence of his own two eyes, after all."

She nibbles at her last fry, lost in thought. "Well, since you were apparently in Mystic Falls during the summer, _when_ did you get back and how did you find out about me?" she asks when she finishes her fry.

"I got back around the same time Stefan did," I tell her noncommittally.

"_And?_ How did you find out about me, Damon?" she asks, watching me fiddle with my last two fries. I'm not sure how to give a straight answer to that. "Damon, I can _handle_ the truth, whatever it may be. To my knowledge, you have never lied to me before. Please don't start now."

I growl softly, deciding that if she wants to know so badly, I'll give her the knowledge. I look straight into her eyes and capture her mind with mine. "Remember what was forgotten the night your parents died," I tell her, putting compulsion behind it.

I watch as her eyes briefly fill with confusion before going blank as she relives our _true_ first meeting. I eat my final two fries while I wait. Before long, she is released from the memory. I watch her, carefully guarding my expression. "I didn't know you could be such a romantic," she says at last.

I groan and roll my eyes, though I do manage to relax enough to smirk at her. "You just found out I met you _before_ my damned brother and then made you forget it. And _that's_ all you can come up with?" I demand, caught between laughter and exasperation.

She shrugs, grinning. "That's all I can think of right now," she replies. "But I'll probably come up with a whole lot more to say on that topic very soon."

I let out an exasperated chuckle. "I think it's my brother who saved your life that night," I admit. "I could smell him all over those woods."

"If you had stuck around, you could have been the one to save me," she points out.

"Ah, but then Stefan would have known I was in town long before I was ready for him to," I retort. "I took off at that point because I didn't dare stick in one spot for too long. I didn't want to risk him discovering I was hanging about."

She looks around briefly before her eyes land on Bree at the far end of the bar. "Hey, Bree," she calls.

The witch signals to wait while she wraps up the conversation she's in. Then Bree heads our way. "What can I do for you, sugar?" she asks.

"Do you think we could get something stronger than beer? A _lot_ stronger?" Elena asks. I raise an eyebrow at her. I _could_ go for something stronger, but for _Elena_ to ask for it? She keeps surprising me. . "Our conversation has already reached points where we _need_ something strong."

Bree chuckles, plunks two whisky glasses down on the bar, fills them to the rim with top shelf bourbon, and slides one in front of each of us. She leaves the bottle for us. "I've had a conversation or two like that myself," she confides to me in a loud whisper. "You might need that whole bottle before you're through. Let me know if it turns into a multiple bottle conversation." She then retreats from easy listening distance.

"Well, I've never seen _that_ one just hand over a top shelf bottle of _any_ drink," I comment, raising an eyebrow at Elena. "And who's _paying_ for all this?"

Elena smirks at me after she takes a swallow of the bourbon, being careful not to spill a drop. _"_You are the one who dragged me along without my wallet or check book," she reminds me. "I don't have so much as a _penny_ on me. So _you_ are picking up the tab, Mister Salvatore. And I intend on getting drunk on the good stuff."

I groan. _"You_ have expensive tastes," I tell her.

"I just don't like cheap alcohol. I can barely handle beer, not even what's considered _good_ beer. Besides, _I'm_ not the one who insists on having a designer wardrobe that would draw envy from every Hollywood actor alive."

"I take care of it and it lasts," I protest.

"Clothing from Old Navy and Sears last just as long, is sometimes more comfortable, and _doesn't_ cost a small fortune for just one outfit," she points out. "Hell, I could even go in Wal-Mart and buy _all_ the clothes in my size and _still_ pay less than what _one_ of your outfits costs."

I groan and drain half the bourbon in my glass. "You will _not_ put it to rest, will you?"

"_I'm_ not the one who brought up the topic of expensive tastes. I doubt that _any_ tab we could run up in here would be even a fraction of what you pay when you go shopping for clothes. I bet that outfit you're wearing right now is worth at _least_ ten grand."

"More like fifteen," I admit.

"I don't even _want_ to know how you can afford such a huge wardrobe when just _one_ outfit costs you fifteen thousand dollars," she groans, taking a long swallow of her bourbon.

"I've been saving and investing ever since I got my first paycheck," I inform her with a grin. "I've racked up a few hundred million over the years. My father admitted that I was good with money when he refused to admit that there was anything else I was good at. He didn't like having to admit it, but I was the one in charge of the family fortune _as well as_ my own personal funds. One reason the Salvatore family was practically royalty in Mystic Falls was that I had managed to get the family funds over the one million dollar mark before I turned twenty. And that was _hard_ to do back then. We were one of the wealthiest families in the entire Confederacy, though I heard rumors of a few families in the Union that had fortunes in the tens of millions."

She narrows her eyes at the proud smirk on my lips. "You are _gloating,"_ she accuses.

"It's not gloating when it's true," I retort with a grin.

"So you said the _family_ fortune _then_ was worth over one million. What would that be compared to today?" she asks.

I take a moment to quickly calculate the amount. "Over three billion," I say finally.

She stares at me in awe. "That's a lot," she admits.

I scowl, draining my glass. She refills it for me. "It would be a much, _much_ higher amount than _that_ today _if_ Father hadn't willed it all to his youngest son, mine and Stefan's half-brother. _That_ brat didn't know a _thing_ about managing money and refused to learn," I say darkly. "The _only_ reason his kids didn't end up living on the street was because I decided to take responsibility where he wouldn't. The woman he had been forced to marry and have kids with was not pleased with what he chose to spend the fortune on. When he reached his early grave with a bullet through in his heart, there was only a few hundred dollars left. I made a deal with the wife and kids: they keep the fact that Stefan and I are vampires a family secret, I'll take care of the bills and rebuild the fortune so they can still be among the respectable folk of Mystic Falls without being ashamed of what they're wearing or what the house looks like. I warned them that this would have to last through the generations of those who inherit the house and any who don't inherit it must never let a word slip, not even to their spouse. I told them Stefan and I better have our own rooms in that house and _no one_ except us was allowed in them in our absence. I also said that each time ownership changed hands, Stefan and I had _better_ be invited back in. They agreed to all the conditions. The living side of the family stuck to their side of the bargain, so I stuck to mine."

"Except you killed Zach and he didn't have any children to pass it on to," she points out, refilling her own glass.

"I _never_ promised not to kill any of them," I remind her with a shrug. . "I _only_ promised that the bills would be paid and I'd build the family fortune up. And I am _still_ keeping those promises, though there is no one left to keep their side of the bargain."

"Does Stefan know about the deal?" she asks.

"Stefan does _not_ know about the deal. And don't _ever_ tell him about it either. Or anyone else for that matter. I don't know why I even told _you_ about it," I tell her.

"I will never repeat a _word_ of anything you confide in me. You can trust me," she assures me, taking a drink of her bourbon.

"For some reason, I do trust you," I tell her. I haven't trusted _anyone_ since before I was turned. Don't make me regret it."

"I well never betray your trust, Damon," she promises me. . "That's not something friends do."

"Friends?" I repeat, raising an eyebrow. _I_ want to be friends with her, but I didn't know she feels that way as well.

"Well, I like to think we're friends."

"Even after everything I've done to you, you _still_ want to be my friend?" I ask in surprise.

"_Everyone_ needs at least _one_ person they can count on to be there for them through everything life throws at them; even as big a dick as you are, you need someone you can trust with everything," she informs me. I chuckle. Even I admit that I can be a dick at times. "I want to be that person you can count on, Damon. Call it whatever you like. _I'm_ calling it friendship."

I fill both our glasses and hold mine up. "To friendship, then," I say with a grin.

"To friendship," she says, clinking her glass against mine.

Several hours later

Quite a few of Bree's regular customers, Elena, Bree, and I are on our third round of bourbon shots races, though Elena and I have been drinking all afternoon. "Ready?" Bree says, holding her glass in her hands. "Go!"

We all tilt our heads back to drink the shot as fast as possible. Elena's glass hits the counter first, for the third time in a row. Elena does a little dance. "That's three," she gloats, turning to me. "You need a bib," she teases.

"Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume my alcohol," I tell her, wiping the alcohol off my chin while grinning. Drunk Elena is a hell of a lot of fun.

"Whatever," she chuckles. "Alright, who's next? Another round, Bree?"

"Honey, you should be on the floor," says the blonde next to Elena.

"I am not even _drunk._ My tolerance is like way up _here!"_ she says, raising her hand and jumping. I just grin at her enthusiasm. She is certainly having a blast.

Elena goes over to the pool table and starts playing a game with the blonde, but a few minutes later I hear her phone ring. I take the time to go over to the bar and relax. But as soon as I sit down, Bree says something that makes me regret not listening in. "Hey, where's your girl?" she asks.

"Hmm, she's right back there," I say, turning to the pool tables. Only I don't see her. I look around, and then look at the door. I get up and head outside to check on her. I start to worry when I don't see her outside. I look down and see her phone and I know she's in trouble. I smell the air and I smell her scent, but also the scent of someone I don't recognize. I follow her scent around a warehouse next to the bar.

I spot her on a ladder. "Damon, no," she cries, fear in her voice.

I stop only to have a vampire rush forward and bash the back of my knees with a baseball bat. I cry out in pain as I collapse. The guy uses his full strength to swing the aluminum bat on me again and again. "Ow! Ow! What the hell?" I cry out.

The guy vamps away only to return and start dousing me with gasoline. "No!" Elena cries out. The guy turns his vamp face at her.

"Who are you?" I manage to gasp out as he pours more gasoline on me.

"That's perfect. You have no idea," he snaps.

"Please! Stop! Don't hurt him!" Elena cries.

He turns to her. "He killed my girlfriend," he says. I try to put the pieces together to figure out what he means. "What did she do to you? Huh? What did she do to you?" he yells at me.

I figure it out then. "Nothing," I say. I try to get up, only for him to kick me in the head.

"You're Lexi's boyfriend, right?" Elena asks as he tosses the gasoline can away. He turns to her slightly before turning back to me. "She loved you. She said when it's real, you can't walk away."

"Well that's a choice you're not gonna have to make," he growls at her.

"Don't! Don't! Please don't hurt him!" Elena begs.

I hear the guy strike a match and know that I might very well be on fire soon if Elena can't talk some sense into the guy. "I'm doing you a favor," he tells her.

"Lexi loved you. And she was good. And that means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this. I'm begging you," she pleads. I can hear the tears in her voice, though the smell of gasoline overrides any other smell. "Please."

The guy pulls me up to his face by my jacket and I stare into his vamp face. Then I'm flying through the air and hit a metal wall at least twenty-five feet away. I fall to the ground and groan.

"Thank you," I hear Elena whisper.

"It wasn't for you," the guy tells her softly. Then he's gone.

Elena rushes to my side, ignoring the reek of the gasoline. I painfully realign my broken bones. I'm going to need blood for them to heal in any decent amount of time. I haven't fed in two days. Suddenly, Elena's rolling up her sleeve and shoving her arm at me. "Drink," she orders.

"What?" I demand. There is _no way_ I'm drinking from her right now! I could kill her! "No!"

"You need blood to heal, Damon. Drink mine," she tells me. I grit my teeth and turn my head to the side. "Dammit, Damon. Just _drink_ already! I'm _offering_ my blood for you of my own free will. I _know_ you won't take more than you need. I trust you, even if you don't trust yourself. If you don't bite me, I'll just scratch myself and you won't have a choice. My nails are long and sharp enough to draw blood in one go. I know you haven't fed in at _least_ two or three days, which is why your bones are taking so long to heal. You won't be able to resist the sight and scent of fresh blood."

I sigh, knowing she's right. And that girl is stubborn enough to actually follow through with her threat. I turn back to her. "If I'm going to drink your blood, I might as well do it right," I say softly. I brush her hair over her shoulder and pull her into my lap so that her legs are straddling my hips. I dip my head and place my lips at the pulse point at the base of her throat. It's my favorite spot to drink from a human. I feel her forcing herself to relax as I scrape my fangs over her pulse. When she's sufficiently relaxed, I sink my fangs into her flesh and begin to drink. Her blood tastes _magnificent!_ She collapses against me, panting, moaning, mewling, gasping as wave after wave of pleasure flows through her body. I smirk triumphantly as I feed when my name falls from her lips a number of times. I can taste the pleasure I'm giving her in her blood as it floods over my tongue and down my throat.

As soon as all my broken bones are healed, I retract my fangs. She moans in disappointment, only to gasp as I slowly slide my tongue over the bite, sealing it with my saliva as well as lapping up the pooled blood. She sags against me as I tease and twirl my tongue over her collarbone and neck, even in places where there is no blood. And she doesn't stop me. I can _smell_ her arousal and know that if I don't stop soon, I won't be able to stop before taking her in this grungy little alley. Besides, I _refuse_ to share another woman with my brother. And I _definitely_ refuse to share Elena with him.

I sigh against her heated skin and pull away to look in her eyes. "If we don't move now, we'll end up doing things that should _not_ be done in such crappy surroundings," I tell her.

She groans. "Don't wanna move," she grumbles.

I chuckle huskily. "My sentiments exactly. But I'm still doused in gasoline and desperately need to wash it off before the reek of it becomes _trapped_ in my nose. And as much as I'd _love_ to continue, I refuse to share another woman with my brother. _Especially_ if that woman is you."

She growls. "I'm _not_ with him anymore. He lied to me. I have a feeling he'll continue to lie to me to 'protect' me."

"Make it official and I'll _consider_ picking up where we are leaving off tonight," I tell her.

"I'll hold you to that," she warns me.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I still want to get Katherine out of that tomb," I warn her. "I will not let anything stop me from doing that. Not even you."

"I know," she says calmly. She hesitates briefly, before plunging ahead. "I might know a way of helping you open the tomb."

My eyebrows shoot up at that. "Oh?" I ask. How the hell would she know _that?_

"Emily's grimiore," she says. "And I know where it's hidden."

I narrow my eyes at her. This is a very interesting development. "And how do you know that?" I ask softly.

But she shakes her head. "Please don't make me answer that. You will never believe the truth and I don't want to lie to you."

I frown. What could be so crazy about the truth of how she got this knowledge that I wouldn't believe it? I've seen plenty of crazy things in my life. But I don't want her lying to me either. I decide to drop the subject. ""What does Emily's grimiore have to do with the tomb?" I ask instead.

"Promise me something first," she begs.

"Depends on what you want me to promise you," I say slowly. "I don't make promises lightly because I stick to them no matter what."

"If I ever seem more knowledgeable about things than I have any right to be, _don't_ question it, please. I swear upon my parents' graves that I'll explain everything when the time is right. But I can't tell you anything for quite some time to come."

I narrow my eyes. She would _never_ go back on _that_ swear. But what does she mean about knowing things that she shouldn't? This is getting to be very interesting. I sigh. "I know you would _never_ use that particular swear lightly," I tell her. "So I promise I won't ask how you know things you shouldn't. But I _will_ hold you to your vow of explaining yourself eventually."

"And I will," she promises. "But it won't be anytime soon, so you'll have to be patient."

"I've never had much patience," I admit. . "But I'll try."

She nods. . "Emily's grimiore has the spell she used to seal the tomb in it as well as the way of _undoing_ that spell."

Dammit, I already regret that promise. "Already, you have me regretting my promise," I growl. "So, how will we get a witch to undo the seal?"

"I have to talk to Bonnie's Grams. I think I know how to convince her to help. But you have to _promise_ to burn every vampire in the tomb with the exception of Katherine. I _think_ I can wrangle Anna's mother free of the burning, if I work it right. And no matter _what_ happens, you _have_ to keep that promise."

I raise an eyebrow. 'No matter _what_ happens' tells me immediately she's keeping something from me. "You are keeping something from me. _What_ aren't you telling me?" I ask suspiciously.

"You will not believe me until you see it with your own eyes. So I'm not going to tell you. When we get back, take me by the boarding house first so I can talk to Stefan and get my necklace back, then we'll make a stop at Bonnie's Grams to talk to her about the tomb before I go home."

"The grimiore?" I ask pointedly.

"We'll get it soon after we get back, I promise," she says. She pauses in thought for a moment. "There's a decade dance at the high school coming up soon. The theme is the fifties. I was hoping you'd take me. I have a feeling you're a good dancer and I already know that Stefan hates dancing. Besides, Bonnie and her Grams will need some powerful natural event to call upon for aid in the spell, I'm sure."

"Witches and their hocus pocus," I growl. I shrug. I'll have Katherine back soon enough. "I suppose I could take you to the dance. I liked most of the dances in the fifties. But what will everyone thinks when someone old enough to be a chaperone is dancing with an underage student?"

"Who _cares_ what everyone thinks? It's not as if they know our _true_ age gap. Hell, _I_ don't know our true age gap, since you never _did_ tell me how old you were when you were turned."

I chuckle. That's true. I never did tell her how old I am. _"Physically,_ I'm twenty-four," I inform her. "I was born June 28, 1840."

"That means you're a hundred and sixty-nine," she says after a moment of calculating it. "That makes you a hundred and fifty-two years older than me."

"Yep," I say, popping the 'p'.

"Apparently I find older men _extremely_ attractive," she mutters, even though she knows I'm able to hear her perfectly.

I chuckle, deciding not to call her on it. . "So, are we going to sit _here_ all night? Or are we going to go find a motel room and sleep in a proper bed?" I ask.

She sighs. "As much as I like the position we're in right now, I think you _really_ need to wash that gas off. And why are _you_ going to sleep? I know vampires don't technically _need_ sleep."

"Well, there are times when even a vampire gets tired out," I admit. "Besides, sleeping is a good way to pass the time when nothing interesting is going on."

She slowly gets out of my lap and stands up. I'm stand up in the blink of an eye. She shakes her head. "Sometimes, you and Stefan make me wish _I_ was a vampire," she informs me.

I raise an eyebrow. "That can easily be arranged, you know," I point out. _"You_ would make an excellent vamp."

"_I_ will have to take that offer into careful consideration and get back to you on it," she replies. "I'm not sure I'm ready to give up being human _just_ yet. I'm not even a legal adult yet. Not in the US at least."

I chuckle. "Just give me the word and I'll be happy to turn you," I tell her.

"_Stefan_ wouldn't like that you made that offer," she points out as we slowly make our way back to the Camaro.

"_Stefan_ can't stand the idea that _anyone_ would _want_ to be turned," I retort.

"You know, I _do_ think his diet of animal blood is a little _wrong._ Especially considering it's humanity that's ruining the planet," she comments. _"But,"_ she continues when I open my mouth to say something, " I also don't think _killing_ all humans is right either."

"Of course not," I growl. "Without humans, vampires would be _forced_ to turn to the Stefan diet. Without humans, there would be no more new vampires. _And_ without humans, immortality would be a complete bore. Humans are usually the ones who come up with all the advances in technology that makes life increasingly fascinating. Besides, humans outnumber vampires by a _huge_ amount. I'm not sure about the exact figures since I have no idea how many vamps are in the world. But there are at _least_ five hundred thousand humans for every vamp. I get the feeling that the exact ratio fluctuates every day." We arrive at the Camaro. I pause, glaring at Bree's Bar. "I'll be right back," I growl.

She grabs my wrist before I can take a step. I glance at her. "Don't kill her, Damon," she begs.

"She almost had _me_ killed," I growl.

"Please, Damon," she pleads. "I don't want the memory of such a magnificent day tainted with the knowledge that you killed her. For the sake of preserving this wonderful day, please don't kill her."

I frown, running my free hand through my hair. I find it hard to believe that she had such a great day with me. "You enjoyed the day that much?" I ask.

"Yes. And if she _hadn't_ let that vamp know you were in town, what I consider the best part of the whole day would not have happened," she says. I raise an eyebrow at that. "The best part was where you pulled me into your lap and drank my blood," she admits. She blushes so brightly I'm surprised she's _not_ glowing. "I never thought being fed on could fell so wonderful."

I give her a sly smirk. "Being fed on could range from sheer torture to absolute paradise for a human," I inform her. "It depends on three major things: what the vamp _wants_ the human to experience, whether the human was _completely_ willing to be fed on, and how relaxed the human is during the feeding."

"Even absolute paradise couldn't compare to what I felt," she says with a small smile. . "And if Bree hadn't betrayed you, I wouldn't have had that wonderful experience to top off an already perfect day."

I let out a sound that's half-groan, half-growl. I can't exactly ruin such a good road trip for her by killing that traitorous witch. "Then I better let her know you are actually _thanking_ her for betraying me," I grumble, though I _know_ she can hear how pleased I am about how much she enjoyed this trip. "I won't kill her. But I will warn her against ever trying it again." I unlock the Camaro as soon as she releases my wrist. "Get in, buckle up, and lock the doors. I'll be right back. I still got to get my jacket."

She obeys as I head into the bar. As soon as I walk through the door, I see that Bree is drinking. She turns to me. "We were just leaving, I wanted to say goodbye," I tell her.

"Good to see you again, Damon," she says softly.

"No kiss?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm full of vervaine," she informs me. "I put it in everything I drink."

"You're still lucky that Elena pleaded for me to spare you," I tell her.

Her eyes widen. "The tomb can be opened," she says quickly.

"Oh really? You just got through saying earlier that Emily's spell is absolute," I remark.

"Emily's grimiore, her spell book. If you know how she closed the tomb, the reversal process will be in her book. You can open the tomb."

"And where's this book?" I ask. She stutters and stammers. "You have no idea?"

"No, I don't," she admits.

I put my hand on the side of her face. "And I believe you," I tell her gently. I put my other hand over her heart. "I could easily rip your heart out right now for betraying me. You better find some way to thank Elena for talking me into sparing your life. And if you ever betray me again, I _won't_ refrain from separating your heart from your body." I leave her standing there, staring at me. I grab my jacket and walk out to my car. I unlock the Camaro and climb into the driver's seat. "I didn't kill her. But I made _certain_ she understood that you are the _only_ reason her heart isn't lying on the floor, separate from her body," I tell her as I steer the car towards a hotel as far from the bar as the town will allow, despite that meaning we have to head south rather than north. . "She also confirmed what you said about the grimiore being the only option left. I am already impatient for the day you explain how you knew about it to arrive."

"There are likely to be a _lot_ of things I will say and do that will only heighten that impatience," she murmurs.

"You're certain you can convince Sheila to help me? After all, I _did_ try to kill her granddaughter," I remind her.

"I'm not _completely_ certain. But she is a better bet than Bonnie. She's the more experienced witch, as well as the more powerful. And I have a feeling I'm the only one who can get her to completely go along with the plan. But you _have_ to keep the promise of burning _all_ the tomb vampires except Pearl and Katherine, _no matter what._ Not burning them will make things _very_ difficult all around."

I shake my head. "You know _way_ too much, and I am seriously curious about how you know it," I grumble.


	3. I Can't Resist You

The Woman I Love  
DG32173

Sarah: chapter 2 is here! Please enjoy! Reviews are most welcome!

* * *

Chapter 2  
I Can't Resist You

"One bed or two?" I ask as I pull the parking lot of a Super 8 on the far side of town from Bree's. I normally wouldn't go for such a cheap hotel. I prefer hotels in the four or five star range. But this small backwater town doesn't have one of those.

"One is good," she says with a sly smirk.

I groan at the thought of sharing the same bed with her. "You're playing with fire, Elena," I warn her as I pull to a stop outside the office of the hotel.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she teases.

I raise an eyebrow at her. She knows damn well what I'm talking about. But I get out and head into the office to check in. I'm grateful that I'm the only one checking in at the moment. The receptionist is _extremely_ quick to get me checked in and hand me the room key. Obviously, he doesn't like the reek of gasoline clinging to me any more than I do. I head back out to the car, get in, and drive it up to the staircase at the far end. I park directly across from the stairway.

"We're on the second floor," I tell Elena as we get out. I lock the car and head around to the trunk to grab a change of clothes. I slam the trunk shut, lead Elena up to our room, and use the card key to open the door. I glance around to briefly take in the room. Not bad, considering that it's not a rated hotel chain. "I'm getting a shower," I tell her.

"Mind if I use the toilet first?" she asks.

I smirk and motion for her to go ahead. I lay my clothes on the dresser, emptying my pockets onto the dresser as well. Then I pick up my boxer-briefs as I hear the toilet flush. Elena steps out to wash her hands at the sink while I step in and shut the door behind me. I turn on the water to heat up and quickly shed the clothing I'm wearing. They're completely ruined by the gasoline. I get in the shower and start scrubbing the stench of gasoline off my skin. While I shower, I think about how strangely Elena was acting today. It _has_ to be more than discovering she looks exactly like Katherine. But as hard as I try, I can't puzzle out how she got so knowledgeable about things she just _should not_ know.

I sigh, shampooing my hair. Even if I hadn't promised not to ask her how she knows things she shouldn't, I doubt she'd give a direct answer. At least I got her sworn word that she'll tell me everything eventually. I just hope I don't have to wait too long. I quickly rinse the suds from my hair and turn off the water. I step out, dry off, and slip on my boxer-briefs. Then I pick up my ruined clothes and leave the bathroom. But the sight of Elena's shirt and jeans airing out over the back of a chair stops me in my tracks. I blink several times, certain that I'm seeing things. But her clothes remain there. I glance over at the bed and see Elena sleeping. She's frowning and whimpering, obviously having a nightmare. I put my clothes from today in a corner; they are heading to the dumpster tomorrow.

As I turn back to the bed, Elena calls out to me softly in her sleep. I frown. She wasn't calling my name in fear; she sounded _worried_ about me. She calls out to me again, a little louder. She starts thrashing, slowly at first. She kicks the covers to the foot of the bed. Tears stream down her cheeks as she calls out to me again, this time in a voice full of severe loss. Soon she's thrashing manically.

I get on the bed, straddling her to hold her still, and grab both her arms. "Elena! Wake up!" I demand, worried about the dark aura that's surrounding her. "Wake _up!"_

Her eyes snap open. She leans against me, wrapping her arms around my neck so tightly that it's a good thing I don't _really_ need to breathe. I pull her against me, holding her tight. The she surprises the hell out of me by tilting her head back to kiss me and pressing her hips firmly against mine.

I freeze. I had told myself I wouldn't do anything remotely sexual with Elena until she and my brother are officially through. But I can sense that she _needs_ this. She _needs_ to know that I'm really here, that whatever happened in her nightmare isn't real. I close my eyes and give in. I flick my tongue over her lips and she parts them immediately, granting me entrance to slide my tongue into her mouth. I slowly taste every corner and crevice of her mouth, alternating the tasting with sensual ministrations. Finally, after I have covered every part of her mouth, I lure her tongue into my mouth. Elena returns the favor full force and so sensuously that I immediately get hard.

In the meantime, she trails her hands down my chest and over my stomach so slowly it's like she's trying to memorize every part of me. I run my hands down her back to her bra clasps and quickly unfasten them. Then she grabs my erection through my boxer-briefs. I _growl_ into the kiss when she squeezes it. I pull away from the kiss to tug her bra off her and fling it off the bed. I dip my head down to take one of her breasts in my mouth, causing her to cry out. I place one hand over her other breast, which fits in my hand perfectly. I massage and tease the breast in my hand while I use my tongue to give the breast in my mouth an amazing experience. I soon have her gasping for breath before I switch breasts, dealing equal treatment to both. She buries her fingers in my hair.

When I'm done with her breasts, I pull her panties off her quickly, managing to keep from ripping them, and fling them in the general direction her bra went. My eyes immediately focus on the birthmark on her left hip. I bring my fingers up to trace the joined hearts with an arrow through them. Some would mistake it for a tattoo, considering how sharp the outline is. But I can tell that it's a true birthmark. ""So, there _is_ a physical difference after all," I murmur huskily. She looks at me in confusion. "She doesn't have a birthmark," I tell her gently.

Her mouth forms a silent 'o' as what I'm saying sinks in. I don't give her the chance to come up with something to say. I spread her legs and arrange myself so I can kiss the inside of her thigh. I reach my hand up to rub the pad of my thumb over her clit, causing her to yelp. I chuckle against the skin of her thigh as I smell her arousal grow more powerful. Then I kiss my way up her thigh, stroking her clit as I go. Apparently my brother doesn't know how to properly treat a woman in the bedroom.

Finally, I close my mouth over her nether lips. She buries her hands in my hair, holding me there. I start suckling on her already wet core as I slide one finger deep inside her. I start pumping, slowly at first. As far as I can tell, this beauty has very little experience in the bedroom. Well, I plan on changing that, if I have my way. I insert a second finger into her slick heat, causing her to gasp as I scissor my fingers while I pump, stretching her walls slowly. I continue to suck and nip at that bundle of nerves around her entrance. I can feel her drawing closer to her first orgasm. I add a third finger, knowing that even three fingers won't help too much when I finally slide into her. Her inner walls clench around my fingers. Just before she reaches full climax, I pull my hand out. I quickly lick my fingers clean as she starts to groan in disappointment. But that soon turns to a moan of excitement as I slide my tongue inside that tight, wet heat. She cries out my name, _my_ name, as just the feel of my tongue brings her over the edge. I growl as I greedily swallow her sweet nectar as it flows over my tongue and into my mouth. God, she tastes heavenly.

Only _after_ she is left gasping as the last shockwaves of her orgasm finally play out do I pull away. I quickly kick out of my boxer-briefs, already aching to be inside her. I trail kisses up her perfect body to the bite mark I left on her earlier. I glance at her curiously, wondering if she'd allow me to taste her sweet, sweet blood again. She replies by arching her neck to give me better access. I smirk at her before burying my face into her neck, letting my fangs elongate against her skin as I line myself up with her entrance. I sink my fangs into her skin at the same time that I bury my dick to the hilt inside her. Somehow, she manages not to stiffen at the flash of pain.

I hold perfectly still, letting her get used to my girth. I keep her blood from flowing while waiting for her signal. Finally, she gives a small nod. I growl in contentment as I let her blood flow into my mouth and down my throat. I slowly start pumping in and out of her, picking up the speed with each thrust. She digs her nails into my back and buries her face in my shoulder. Timidly, she scrapes her blunt human teeth against the base of my throat, asking permission. I tilt my head slightly to the side, granting permission. She sinks her teeth into me and greedily swallows my blood as it flows into her mouth.

Then I find her sweet spot, causing her hips to buck. I chuckle against her neck, still managing to swallow her blood as it flows into my mouth. Now that I know where to aim, I alter my position slightly and resume my pace, hitting that sweet spot each time. Now her hips start rising to meet me and we're soon slamming our hips together. She sinks her teeth deeper into my skin as her body begins quivering with her oncoming release. I feel my own release coming on. But I'm determined not to fly first. A few thrusts later, she takes flight. One more, and I follow her into the heavens, spilling forth my dead seed into her. I collapse against her as we soar among the clouds. I retract my fangs, then slowly slide my tongue over the bite to once again seal it shut as well as lap up the pooled blood. She reluctantly pulls away from her bite mark on me, placing a kiss over it as it heals.

I turn us so we're on our sides, facing each other without separating. I hold her against me as I let out a breathless chuckle. This girl wore me out, and that was only _one_ go! She looks up at me. "What's so funny?" she asks.

"You _actually_ wore me out. Normally I could go for hours, but you somehow managed to wear me out in one go," I inform her with a wry grin.

She smiles. "Really?" she asks, obviously taking delight in that information.

"Really," I assure her. I shake my head, a look of wonder spreading across my features. "I have _never_ had a partner like you."

"Not even Katherine?" she asks hesitantly.

I don't even have to think about that answer. "Not even Katherine," I reply softly. I raise a hand to her cheek. . "Will you tell me now what that nightmare was about?" I ask gently, stroking her bottom lip with my thumb. "You were thrashing about and crying out to me. Then you woke up and got me to do all that when I told myself I _wouldn't_ until after you and Stefan were officially over."

The memory of her nightmare floods back to her and she buries her face against my chest, hiding tears that I can smell and feel. "I was in a burning building," she murmurs against my skin. "I _knew_ you were in there, too. I knew you needed help. Someone had gotten vervaine into you and put you in the basement before setting the building on fire. The flames were so hot that it was like the air itself was on fire. The building was collapsing around me and I was getting badly burnt, but I couldn't leave until I found you. But none of the doors I opened led to the basement. Then suddenly _I_ was on fire and I somehow knew you were dead."

I tilt her head up and press my lips to hers, reassuringly tender. She returns the kiss through her tears. "I am _not_ going to die; not in a fire or any other way," I tell her gently, looking in her eyes to make her see that I'm serious.

"I hope not," she whispers, raising a hand to cup my face. "I really hope not."

I pull her closer to me. "Would you like me to sing the lullabies my mother sang to me while you sleep to keep the nightmares away?" I offer softly.

I see her lips curl into a smile before she lays her head on my chest. "You sing?" she asks teasingly.

"Not often. And you would be the first to hear me sing in a _very_ long time," I inform her. "Of course, you won't understand a word. The lullabies are Italian."

"I'd love to hear you sing. Maybe one day you could translate them for me."

"Or maybe one day I could teach you Italian. They sound _so_ much better in that language," I retort before I start singing softly for her. I stroke my fingers through her hair as she quickly relaxes against me. As she falls asleep, I use my Power to dive into her dreams, shoving away the nightmare and replacing it with a dream of the two of us riding horses through England's countryside. It's been a while since I was last in England, but I'm sure this particular part of England is still intact. I get the feeling she realizes, however vaguely, that I'm the one keeping her nightmare away.


End file.
